3/5 stars

So, this is one in a series of books I have been/am reading in order not only to help myself but prepare to help others with issues related to eating, weight and body image. J bought this one for me on a whim and it turned out to not really be my thing. I will say that I believe the writer is genuinely trying to help people, her style and methods just don’t really gel with me.

Firstly a note on the form: this is book one of several but it’s only 80 pages long with lots of white space and quotes, essentially it’s maybe more like 50 pages. This kind of makes the whole book seem more focused on making money as it could easily have been part one of a normal sized book.

There are definitely things that resonate with me here, like how one throwaway line from someone about your weight can trigger a lifelong struggle – the same sort of happened to me, though when I examine my past more closely I of course see that there were many and complicated reasons why I developed eating disorders. It wasn’t just because when I was 12 a boy called me fat (I wasn’t).

And certainly it is very useful to get to know yourself – to know your essence, if you are truly taking up the fight against your inner demons. It is also useful to be able to observe yourself, your thoughts and feelings objectively. To meditate, to be in the moment. All of this is good and useful stuff.

I just feel like the book is mostly the author telling her own story and saying what works for her rather than giving specific tips and exercises. And without sources it comes across a little pseudo-psychological. The author does readily admit she’s not a psychologist, dietician or scientist, and there is merit to sharing your journey and being open about body image issues – I guess I just wanted more. Honestly the fact that we are all energy and that energy can only change form does nothing for me or my issues with my body.

Towards the end of the book there is a long list of questions that the author suggests you take time to write down your answers to. I think this is a good idea, though I personally prefer to do it in more of a free form manner. But if you’re not really sure where to start or how to go about this, the questions can be useful prompts for self-analysis or discovery.

So ultimately it’s possible that this book can be helpful to people struggling with self love and acceptance, but for me it was too superficial and unspecific. It definitely seems like Emma Wright’s heart is in the right place though.